Five on Friday: Sneak Peeks!!!

Hippity Hop on over for today's Five on Friday!!! Join me and others as we share some of our favorite things.

 

 

This week has been full of wonderful things!!! Here are a couple recaps and sneak peeks of things to come!

 

[one]

On Monday we took G to the NC Zoo for the first time. The trip went really well. We ate some delicious food and visited a couple of neat places (antiques and cupcakes included). You can read about our wonderful, but short, family vacation here.

 

 

[two]

Over the weekend we introduced two new members to our family. Ace and Rigby were rescued and then became the newest of our adopted additions (we also have four dogs that we've adopted through various shelters and rescues.) Meet Ace and Rigby if you haven't already!

 

 

 

[three]

On this day last year, I was being unexpectedly admitted to Labor and Delivery for the birth of our daughter. We were unprepared and could not believe the time was near. We were both honestly expecting her to hang in there for at least another week. Unbeknownst to me, I was 4cm and 75% effaced at my weekly appointment and had progressed to 6cm within two hours of blood pressure monitoring...which is what caused our admittance. I still can't believe that we'll be celebrating G's first birthday tomorrow!!!

 

Hospital gowns are never flattering...I've found a cute pattern for one. Maybe I'll get ambitious and make one for the next one.

 

[four]

My mom and sister are here and my best friend will be coming in from out of town to celebrate G's birthday with us. I hate the distance between us and miss them dearly. The moments I can have them here are always so special and I treasure every moment. They will be helping me set up for G's party after her first egg hunt tomorrow morning. Here are a few things you may see in upcoming birthday pictures...

 

 

 

[five]

I joined others for an Easter Basket Blog Hop earlier this week. I adored working with my hubby to fill her first Easter basket. You can check out all the fun by stopping by my Egg-stra special blog post. G and I also made special gift bags filled with goodies for her aunt, Granna, Papa and Granny. Don't you just love those little chicks?! Baby feet make things so sweet!

 

 

 

 

An Egg-stra Special Easter

Easter is always a very special holiday for us and this year will be no exception. This will be G's first Easter...you may be thinking, "but she'll be one and hasn't celebrated her first Easter?" Last year she was born after Easter and this year she will be turning one the day before. We have a full and fun weekend ahead. To get things started, I'm joining Darci from The Good Life and Sarah from Our Journey for their Easter Basket Blog Hop! Feel free to join in!



 

 

With everything we have going on this week in preparation for G's first birthday, I wanted to make sure that I had her basket complete. I've tried not to place too much pressure on myself. While this will be her first Easter and thus, her first Easter basket, I know that she will not likely remember it other than what she sees in pictures. I did however, enjoy putting it together. As she grows we want her to enjoy the holiday but we want the real focus to be on Christ's death and resurrection. Soon I'll be posting some of the traditions that we'll be incorporating into her childhood for Easter.

 

::via::

 

I hope you enjoy taking a peek into her Easter basket.

 

I don't know what I love more...her initial tag that I purchased at Michael's or her Easter basket that I scored at the Dollar Tree.

Growing up, mom always made or bought us a new Easter dress. I plan to keep this tradition for G, but I also like the idea of getting her a new Spring outfit. My hubby actually picked this one out and I think he did a great job! So cute!

 



 

I try to instill the love of reading into our daughter any chance I get...so of course, that means a book for Easter! I love this little story and I can see it easily becoming a family favorite. I also have a weakness when it comes to hair bows. While G doesn't always want to keep them in her hair these days, I enjoy putting one in her hair every chance I get, thus a few made their way into her basket.

 





I found this funny chicken at a local card store. He was on clearance and his silly dancing and clucking made me laugh out loud in the store. I know G will love it! The egg is an egg shaker that I bought a few weeks ago when my friend and I visited a specialty toy store. I bought two, giving her one early just to see her response. I know she'll love it. While she may be a little young for crayons, we discovered that she enjoys making scribbles at one of our favorite restaurants the other day. They have the brown paper on the tables and upon putting a crayon in her hand and showing her what to do, she had a ball!

When you put it all together...what do you have? An adorable Easter basket for our precious little girl.

Isn't that little bunny face to die for?!





We Bought a Zoo

Well, not really but we did buy tickets. For G's upcoming birthday, we decided to share our love of animals with her and took a family trip to the North Carolina Zoo*. We had a blast! The road trip went off without any glitches and the weather could not have been better. We arrived about an hour after opening, but thanks to our weekday visit, the crowds were light.

Our little Gator Girl!

With each animal exhibit, we enjoyed watching G point out the things she saw, and although we can't yet understand any words other than "buh" for bug (and "nana" for all things food, Momma and Dada) we adored the way she eagerly sought out the animals we pointed to. We loved seeing her discover the animals, get bouncy when something got her excited, and her attempts to touch the animals through the glass made our hearts smile.

They had a special giant bug exhibit. They were so cool!

G had her first carousel ride!

I have always loved zoos and aquariums. It continues to be a delight and a true privilege to be able to share these places with my daughter. These trips offer multiple opportunities to talk about God's creation. I love being able to show her God's unique designs, talk to her about the amazing abilities/adaptations of the animals, and to help develop her appreciation for what the Lord has made.

...and of course she had to have a souvenir. She picked the elephant.

After a fun filled day at the zoo, G passed out 5 minutes after getting strapped into her car seat. We traveled the 10 minutes to our hotel to freshen up. We attempted to get G back to sleep for an afternoon nap but that was a no go. Instead, we headed out to an early dinner. We took a chance and ventured to a restaurant that came highly recommended by Trip Advisor. We went to Time Square Pizzeria*. From the outside it doesn't look like much but we were not disappointed. The food was great!!! Their customer service was excellent and the atmosphere was very family friendly. Several people heard we were from out of town as we spoke with the guy behind the counter and they sang the restaurant's praises.

We had the BBQ Chicken Wings and the Parmesan Chicken Pizza. G enjoyed the spaghetti. Everything looked amazing!

We came back to the hotel and enjoyed a bit of family time in the pool. G was not a huge fan but tolerated the water. Our hope that she would consider it a giant bathtub (because she loves bath time) was a bust.

After showers we began our night time routine. Surely she would sleep like a rock considering she had not had very much nap time and had such a big day...but alas, our little darling, who normally sleeps all night, was up every two hours. Finally, at 4am I moved her to the bed with us and just allowed her to lay there as I prayed for sleep. She ended up falling asleep for a couple of hours. Wish I could say the same. I've never been one to have her sleep with me and I just could not fall asleep while she lay there...

We awoke early and enjoyed a tasty continental breakfast. We headed out to do a couple more things before heading home. We killed some time at Walmart, where I almost took out an old lady (more to come on that later) and then headed to an antique store my husband had been eyeing. After browsing through the antiques, we dropped by Main Street Sweets*, a local cupcake shop for some goodies for the road. We've only tried two of them, but they were tasty! (Side note: Any time we travel, if there is a zoo, aquarium or cupcake shop, we MUST visit.)

Beginning at top left: Salted Caramel, Almond Joy, Snickers, Strawberry Cheesecake, Oreo, and Chocolate Peanut butter.

She slept almost the entire ride home.

While we love to travel and have adjusted to doing so with a baby, there is just something about coming home. Over the next couple of days we'll be getting the house ready for incoming family, Easter, and my daughter's first birthday. Happy Spring!

*I was not compensated in anyway for sharing information or singing the praises of the any of the mentioned places in this post.

 

 
 

 

 

A Turkey, A Tow Truck and Two of a Kind

Yesterday was just one of those days. It began with running a bit behind for work. I dropped G off at the sitter and began my trek to work. As I rounded the bend just miles from the sitters house, I saw a turkey crossing the road. It was as if life began reeling in slow motion. I saw the little guy crossing the road, but there was nothing I could do. It was inevitable. The little guy didn't stand a chance. In one brief instance there were feathers flying both in front and behind me. The car behind me got a nice dose of them as well. I guess we'll never know why poultry cross roads...he did get some revenge by doing some damage to my jeep...

The guys at my husband's work gave me a hard time for starting Turkey Season a day early.

 

 

After getting my heart rate and blood pressure to a normal level, I called my hubby to let him know about the incident. Things were not going much better for him. He was stranded on the highway due to some pretty major car trouble. We found out later that it was a big crack in the radiator. A tow truck came and took him and his vehicle to his fire department. By the end of the day his vehicle was fixed and life was normalizing...at least for him.

Upon getting to work, I noticed that our secretary had brought in a pet crate. I assumed it was her daughter's dog and that her daughter would be along shortly to pick him up. I was surprised to find two cats in the crate. She told me their sad story...

The family that owned these cats, and one dog, had moved. My secretary's daughter happened to see one of the cats outside. Knowing that the owners had moved, she stopped to see what was going on. By the end of it all, she had discovered that the family had left one of the cats outside and the other, along with the dog, inside the house. These poor animals had been abandoned. These little guys had been left since at least Monday, but my friends believe it was longer than that. The little guy that was inside was pretty thin.

Meet Ace!

Meet Rigby!

She had brought these animals to school to pass on to our librarian who does animal rescue and works closely with the Humane Society in the area. She was already overwhelmed with cats that need homes...she had 6-7 she was already trying to place. So...what did I do? I had to do what my heart and head were telling me. At the end of the school day I became the official owner of two adorable little boys. These guys are approximately 6-7 months old. They have the best temperaments and could not be more cuddly. They'll do just fine out here in the country.

The king of his new castle.

G was not sure what to think of them at first, but as you can see, she quickly warmed up to them.

 

Five on Friday: All Good Things

I hope you'll join me and some other very lovely ladies for this week's Five on Friday.

 

 

[one]

This Friday marks the beginning of Spring Break!!!

 

::via::

 

 

[two]

I celebrated my last birthday in my 20s. You can see the recap here. I can't thank everyone enough for the outpouring of love on my special day. (Major props go to my hubby. He always does an amazing job.)

The ice cream cake!!! I look forward to this every year!

Just a few of the sweet gifts I was given...

[three]
We took some family pictures on Sunday. We also had G's one year pictures taken. Shay always does an amazing job. If you are close to the Richmond area, look her up! (more pics coming soon!)

 

 

 

[four]

This past week I also managed to complete my first 5k in ages. I had such a good time finishing with one of my dearest friends. You can find the highlights here.

 

 

[five]

We're coming down to crunch time. G's first birthday is right around the corner. We have family coming in this week to celebrate (I can't wait!). I'm busy making decorations, planning food, checking my list and anxiously awaiting the day. Where did the time go?

 

36 week ultrasound

Admitted...6cm and going strong at 37 1/2 weeks

Our gorgeous miracle

Our precious family...finally home

 





Counting Candles

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Psalm 139:16

29 and holding...at least for the next year...Today was filled with bittersweet memories and wonderful things. We began celebrating last night (only because my husband had to work today). I came home from work to a very clean house, one of my favorite dinners on the table, and my all time favorite ice cream cake! What a wonderful man I've married!

G enjoyed her first ice cream cake experience

After not sleeping well I wasn't sure I wanted to begin a new age. I was just getting a grasp of living life as a 28 year old. I made it to work and was greeted by some "happy birthday" sentiments. A few of my co-workers threw me a wonderful birthday breakfast. Once the school bell rang my students came in with lots of well wishes, cards and a gift or two. By the end of the day my door was covered in precious handwritten birthday wishes.

The music teacher even taught the students a sweet version of Happy Birthday with movement! I wish I could show you but the file doesn't want to cooperate.

Also, a couple of my friends got together and sent me a beautiful mini rose bush.

My adoring husband sent me some beautiful flowers from both he and my daughter.

I've been kind of in a slump lately and it was so nice to be surrounded by so much love today. Not to mention my best friend sent me a lovely new purse.

As the sun sets on this day, I've been doing a lot of reflecting. This past year I've learned and re-learned a lot of important things. I still have things I'm facing that I'd hoped to leave behind me, but alas, I remain a work in progress.

There are a few core truths I've been reminded of over the past year...
-Apologize no matter how much it hurts or what it may cost
-Savor every second with those you love
-Comparison kills joy
-No battle can be won on my own
-Hearts mend
-True friends walk through the storms of life with you
-Change can't occur if I remain stagnant

While there are so many other things that have come to light over this past year, I know there is still much for me to do and learn.

I've managed to accomplish many things this year, but the greatest of my achievements is the birth of my daughter. My life has been so much fuller thanks to that redheaded, little blue-eyed girl. When I think back to Psalm 139:16, I'm in awe of how God knows what my days will hold. He knew when I would become a wife, a mother, a teacher and so on. He knows me better than I know myself and while not every moment of my life has been rosy, it has been purposeful. He knew I'd make mistakes and He knew I would achieve great things and I believe He still has wonderful things prepared for me. I have precious silent prayers in my heart...hope for things unseen.

While it hasn't always been easy to trust Him (which admitting that out loud makes me realize just how ridiculous it is...but I'm human) I know He has my best interests at heart.

I've made some progress on my 30 by 30 list and I hope to accomplish all of these things...granted I won't be too hard on myself if that doesn't happen. Either way, I plan to have a good time trying. I want to thank everyone who has helped to make this day wonderful and I send up a praise of true thanks to the One who saw fit to bring me into this world. God has a purpose for this life and while I don't know where this road will take me, I hope to make the best of the ride.